News Briefs: Sept. 20, 2018

DOJ: Too early to seek Interpol help in finding Lim

Authorities are convinced that Cebu businessman Peter Lim, who was charged last month with conspiring to trade in illegal drugs, remains in the country.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said it was too early to alert the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) about Lim’s case.

Citing records of the Bureau of Immigration, Guevarra said Lim had not left the country.

“Too early to alert Interpol. No record that Peter Lim has left the country since his indictment,” the justice secretary told reporters on Wednesday.

Guevarra last week announced a P500,000 bounty for information leading to Lim’s arrest and warned persons hiding him that they would be charged with obstruction of justice.

Lim was charged last Aug. 10 with two counts of conspiracy to trade in illegal drugs, a non-bailable offense, after the Department of Justice reversed its original decision dismissing his case.

Lim was charged before the Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 65 along with confessed drug dealer Kerwin Espinosa, drug dealer-turned-state witness Marcelo Adorco and Ruel Malindangan, who is also at-large.

Judge Gina Bibat-Palamos issued a warrant for Lim’s arrest on Aug. 14. —Dona Z. Pazzibugan

Sandiganbayan junks Floirendo plea for graft case dismissal

The Sandiganbayan has denied the appeal of Davao del Norte Rep. Antonio Floirendo Jr. for the dismissal of his graft case in connection with his stake in the Tagum Agricultural Development Company Inc. (Tadeco).

In a seven-page resolution dated Sept. 11, the court’s Sixth Division said Floirendo merely rehashed his argument regarding the supposed insufficiency of the allegations.

The court affirmed its Aug. 7 resolution that denied his motion to quash the graft case.

Floirendo was charged with violating Section 3(h) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, after the Ombudsman found his interest in Tadeco to have violated Article VI, Section 14 of the 1987 Constitution.

The law states that no legislator shall “directly or indirectly, be interested financially in any contract with, or in any franchise or special privilege granted by the Government … during his term of office.” —Vince F. Nonato